If their goal was a lot of media coverage for them and, more importantly, Toshiba, they succeeded. But if their goal was to build a good bike, I think they failed. I’ve been riding this bike for a while, trying to get an idea of what it is and what it likes to do. Oh, and don’t expect a single bit of support from Schwinn or Toshiba. Neither one wants anything to do with this bike anymore, and they won’t help you a single bit.
Normally, I’d hop in my car and zip down to the store, but this summer, I was able to stop using my car and start using my bike for almost everything.
As is often the case for expensive, weird, new things that don’t have a well defined use case, within a few short years, the bikes were being closed out for under $1000. They were down to $700 in 2013, and can now be found for $350 with bad batteries on eBay. Surprisingly few websites seem to have actually gotten around to riding the thing when it came out. Most of the reviews seem to be “paper reviews,” with a few reviews written by people who had never ridden an electric bike before, rode it briefly, and came away impressed (not a high bar). While riding, use the “+” button to increase the level of assist as desired, and use the “-“ to decrease.
I’m sure that keeping it in low pedal assist will still net riders the claimed maximum of 35 miles that Schwinn promises. I’m not about to pedal around in the lightest pedal assist setting all day, especially since this isn’t a high power e-bike to begin with. So if you’re using liberal throttle, keep in mind that you’re going to wind up with limited range. Another consideration to keep in mind when choosing an e-bike (or any bike for that matter) is your height. Schwinn has electric bikes that fit riders from 4’8″ all the way up to those who are 6’4″.
However, there were clear warning signs on the horizon. Make it a trip to remember with camping schwinn beach cruiser and mountain biking combined! The kids will sleep great in their tents after all that riding. I live at the bottom of a steep hill and it’s a struggle to get my bike up it in my slightly advanced age.
If you’re over 6′, you probably already know that less than 15 percent of the American population is as tall as you. You also know first-hand how difficult it is to find pants, a comfortable bed or a bike. But don’t worry, The Coston CE is the best electric bike for tall riders. The battery meter is comprised of five segments to give you an estimate of how much power you have left.